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‘Senna came of age in Hungary’

Frank Williams has billed Bruno Senna’s Hungarian GP as a “coming of age” after the Brazilian qualified inside the top ten and finished P7…

Frank Williams has billed Bruno Senna’s Hungarian GP as a “coming of age” after the Brazilian qualified inside the top ten and finished P7.

Having been largely overshadowed by his team-mate Pastor Maldonado, who claimed the victory at the Spanish Grand Prix, Senna has been quietly finding his feet at Williams.

The Brazilian has brought in points in six of the season’s 11 grands prix but it wasn’t until Hungary that he secured his first top ten starting position. Senna followed that up with a seventh-placed result on the Sunday afternoon.

Asked by James Allen On F1 if he thought the result would act as a turning point for the 28-year-old, Sir Frank said: “Yes I think youre right, it probably was a bit of a coming of age in F1. It was a strong drive, I would say pretty much without mistake at all.

“I was very encouraged, I really was. It sounds condescending but we all sit in the pits and watch these races and we’re almost emotionally with the drivers, urging them on as they’re striving away.

“You still get that feeling from within and I just felt from Bruno he was really getting on with the job and needed little mental urging from the pits accordingly. He’s very intelligent and I think he’ll work it out for himself quite well.”

But despite a solid weekend there are rumours that Senna could lose out to test driver Valtteri Bottas for next year’s Championship.

Asked about the possibility of Bottas taking the step up next season, Williams said: “I can’t make any prediction as and when he will get into one of our two cars – three into two don’t go. But he is very highly regarded within the team.

“He seems to be a naturally gifted driver who doesn’t have too much to say for himself – so he’s in with a very good chance!”